x 3 much like that of the chinchilla. The

3

much like that of the chinchilla.

The upper fur la olive brown in color, with a vast expanse of white stomach. The skin of the body extends in flaps and provides a flat, wide surface for gliding. The tail is used for steering while in flight, i A flying squirrel is seldom seen by Virginians because of its nocturnal habits. The habit of being active at night and sleeping through the day Is suggested by the large, black eyes that provide the vision needed for nighttime activity. The prowling and foraging at night results in Virginians more often hearing the flying squirrels than seeing them. Noises in attics, chimneys, and partitions, often attributed to rats or bats, are more like ly to be caused by a family of flying squirrels. Their extremely small size permits them to enter attics impassable to larger squirrels. The warmth coming from a heated building is an almost irresistible attraction to a flying squirrel during the winter.

Almost any oak forest with an abundance of old, deadtress will be attractive to flying squirrels. It's great fun watching a family of these little creatures running through their acrobatics, but it must be done in the dusk of late evening or night. February and March are excellent months for venturing into the woods on a bright evening and watching for flying squirrels at play. Persistent watchers will almost certainly be rewarded by spotting their quarry, since there should be several flying squirrels to the acre in an old, woodpecker-riddled woods. Flying squirrels are quite shy, with excellent night vision and hearing. To be successful, the observer must remain quite still until he sees or hears a flying squirrel in his vicinity.

The philosopher Aristotle maintained one of the first great museums of natural his tory. His patron, Alexander the Great, sent zoological specimens from conquered countries.